This blog draws on current affairs, local history, politics, international relations (esp. Africa, the Carribean and the Middle East). My work as a School Governor will creep in and my interest in genealogy and the poet Robert Bloomfield. I live in NW6 Kilburn/West Hampstead so that features too. I co-ordinate and administer the Historic Kilburn Plaque Fund as well as being a Trustee of the Kilburn Festival. Contact: ed.fordham@gmail.com facebook page: ed fordham twitter: edfordham

Wednesday, 15 October 2008

484,143 dead from enemy action, disease or accident

Here at 10 Cambridge Avenue, just off the Kilburn High Road, we have the Animals War Memorial Dispensary of the RSPCA.

It's a great building and dates to the early 1930's. Formally opened in March 1931 it treated over 6,000 animals in its first year.

The dispensary is still incredibly busy today and consisted when opened of a surgery and waiting room, kennels and glass-fronted cattery. I don't think the animal holding facility is still operational today.

The front of the building has a large bronze plaque above the door as a memorial to animals killed in the first world war. It's an impressive piece of bronze sculpture by F Brook Hitch of Hertford.

It illustrates a depiction of a winged victory holding wreaths to the left and the right and then pairs of animals that saw action and gave service - horses, mules, oxen, dogs, elephants, camels and pigeons

Either side of the door there is also the marble tributes to those animals who fell with some pretty scary and impressive numbers:

484,143 animals killed by enemy action, disease or accident in the war and of 725,216 treated by the RSPCA during the war.

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

There was a fantastic play at the national called war horse which was about animals (mainly horses) in the war - they used puppetry for the horses and an accompanying book. It was very moving and worth seeing if they revive it.